OKC Thunder Head Coach Praises Kenrich Williams’ ‘Quality Minutes’

Part of what makes this Oklahoma City Thunder team so successful is the quality of depth from the top of the roster to the bottom. Sure, being spearheaded by an MVP is what makes the operation work, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's help behind him is just as important. From the rest of the starting cast to the last member of the rotation, this Thunder team has excelled all season.

Of course, playoff depth is different from regular season depth. This Thunder team deployed a very deep rotation most nights in the regular season, and while we've seen that same deep bench in the playoffs, it hasn't been as consistent. Minute distribution is on a night-to-night basis, and that's normal entering the most season.

Some nights it has been Jaylin Williams, and other nights Oklahoma City has turned to Aaron Wiggins or Isaiah Joe. We've even seen a bit of Ajay Mitchell action, too. Monday night, though, was Kenrich Williams' night to make a game-changing impact.

After a solid stat line in Oklahoma City's blowout Game 3 loss, Williams put together one of his most impactful performances of the postseason in a massive Game 4 occasion. The stat line doesn't jump off the page, but the minutes and hustle he provided didn't go unnoticed.

In 12 minutes, Williams tallied five points on 2-of-3 shooting, drilling a triple. He also snatched two big rebounds and recorded two steals. In a dogfight of a game, Williams was a +1 overall and lifted a bench unit that has struggled at times over the course of the postseason.

As a veteran for this Thunder team, it's no surprise that Williams wasn't overwhelmed by the moment. He has exceeded expectations during his entire tenure with the organization, and his recent playoff success is no different. Suddenly, Oklahoma City could really use him to close out the series on Wednesday.